RuthE Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Opera Holland Park have announced the dates of their 2016 opera season today, saying on Twitter that there is "news on ballet coming soon, too". There is a big gap in the opera dates between the end of June and mid-July (which isn't usual for OHP) so it would seem reasonable to infer that this might be where they might put some ballet. The opera company is going independent of public funds from next year onwards so I am not at all surprised to see some changes to the way they are arranging the season. I was aware that they have been considering using the theatre for some ballet, possibly letting the space to an unconnected organisation, since last year when the opera company collaborated with five ENB dancers on their production of Adriana Lecouvreur, so I will be intrigued to see what they are going to announce. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 And they've now announced that there will be four performances by the Royal Ballet School from 29th June 2016, building on the school's history of performing at Holland Park in the 1960s and 80s. Further details when available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 And they've now announced that there will be four performances by the Royal Ballet School from 29th June 2016, building on the school's history of performing at Holland Park in the 1960s and 80s. Further details when available. I wonder whether this is a long term strategy or just a temporary move whilst the Linbury is closed for refurbishment. I'm tempted the think it's the latter but the former will allow for more tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 I wondered the same, and I'm not sure. I was aware last year (privately) that OHP and the RBS were in talks about future collaboration/venue use, but that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akh Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I wondered the same, and I'm not sure. I was aware last year (privately) that OHP and the RBS were in talks about future collaboration/venue use, but that's all. Very fond memories of RBS performances here, very atmospheric 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted May 18, 2016 Author Share Posted May 18, 2016 I wasn't sure whether to start a new thread for this or resurrect this one, so if one of the mods feels strongly that I've done it the wrong way, please feel free to split it out. I have just learned - and been given permission to share publicly - that in addition to hosting the RBS end-of-year performances, Opera Holland Park will also be involving RBS students in one of their own opera productions. Mascagni's "Iris" (which runs for five performances from 7th to 18th June) will involve a collaboration with three Royal Ballet School students and the Royal Ballet's Young Choreographer, Charlotte Edmonds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldenlily17 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 If anybody has any intelligence on casting (or when it is announced) for the RBS performances at Opera Holland Park on 30th June and 2nd July please say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitingmum Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 This is info from RBS if it helps. Due to the refurbishment of the Linbury Studio Theatre, this year’s summer performances will take place at Opera Holland Park from 30 June-2 July 2016, with the usual Main Stage matinee performance taking place at the Royal Opera House on Saturday 9 July 2016. The Royal Ballet School has a long history at Opera Holland Park, having performed there in the late sixties and seventies and returning in 1987 to become an annual fixture. In 2001 Royal Ballet School students gave their last performance at Opera Holland Park as the School moved its end-of-year performances to the Royal Opera House. Significant renovations have taken place at Opera Holland Park since the School was last there and we are very excited about returning to this stunning performance space for four performances in June/July 2016. The Opera Holland Park performances feature students from both Upper School and White Lodge in a wide-ranging programme. The Friday evening and Saturday matinee performances are dedicated predominantly to the students at White Lodge including folk, national and character dance as well as classical repertoire. The Thursday and Saturday evening performances will feature predominantly the Upper School students. The Opera Holland Park performance schedule is as follows:- Thursday 30 June Predominantly Upper School - 7.30pm Friday 1 July Predominantly Lower School - 7.30pm Saturday 2 July Saturday 2 July Predominantly Lower School - 2.30pm Predominantly Upper School - 7.30pm Please note that the capacity of Opera Holland Park (1000 seats) is a great deal larger than the Linbury Studio Theatre capacity, hence why there is one less performance than in previous years. Please also note that the sight lines for Opera Holland Park seats are excellent and all seats offer a clear view of the stage. Prices range from £15 to £35. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billboyd Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I would like to sell a front row ticket for either Friday or Saturday evening. - £22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Williams Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 '...Very fond memories of RBS performances here, very atmospheric....' Yes indeed, so have I. Performances always seemed to be on warm evenings with the scents of early-flowering shrubs still lingering and birds swooping across across the stage - occasionally a pigeon would actually land on it for a leisurely crumb-hunt, riveting the audience's collective gaze..On those magical evenings the students' dancing always seemed wonderful to us; imperfections, if any, were either not noticed or simply ignored. It was on one of those HP evenings that I saw Laura Morera give what I think must have been her first public performance; she danced a pas-de-deux from -- appropriately - 'Two Pigeons' (maddeningly, I can't remember with whom, nor can I find the programme). It was perfectly evident then that Laura was going to be an RB star, and I've followed her career warm iinterest ever since. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 It was on one of those HP evenings that I saw Laura Morera give what I think must have been her first public performance; she danced a pas-de-deux from -- appropriately - 'Two Pigeons' (maddeningly, I can't remember with whom, nor can I find the programme). It was perfectly evident then that Laura was going to be an RB star, and I've followed her career warm iinterest ever since. It was Bennet Gartside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) It was Bennet Gartside Two 'RB stars' then Edited June 1, 2016 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 '...Very fond memories of RBS performances here, very atmospheric....' Yes indeed, so have I. Performances always seemed to be on warm evenings with the scents of early-flowering shrubs still lingering and birds swooping across across the stage - occasionally a pigeon would actually land on it for a leisurely crumb-hunt, riveting the audience's collective gaze. You may be pleased or possibly disappointed to hear that the theatre's facilities have been upgraded considerably since then; in 2007(?) the seating capacity was significantly increased, the seats made much more comfortable, and the canopy extended such that it's much more difficult for birds to get in and you no longer get rained on if you're on the end of a row! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Williams Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 RuthE, I'm both pleased and disappointed! Pleased that I can't get rained on now, but disappointed that the possibility of seeing birds swooping over the stage or landing on it is a thing of the past (hopefully the summer flora scents can still find their way into the al fresco 'auditoirum'). What I'm sure I'll never be disappointed in is the sight of experrly-trained young dancers showing what they can do, particularly with familiar pieces. And BBB, thanks for the info that Bennet Gartside had been Laura's partner I really do wish that I'd kept the programme for that performance; it would be fascinating to see if any of the other students had become 'names'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Ann, if you pop into Westminster Reference Library sometime and get them to haul you out the 1995 Dancing Times collection, you could read the review yourself. I think it came out pretty late in that year, bearing in mind that the lead time for magazines back then was a lot longer than it is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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